Refrigeration



Feb. 9, 1937. A LENNING 2,069,840

REFRIGERATION Filed Nov. 12, 1954 INVENTOR,

WWW

A ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 9, 1%37 YATES PATENT REFREGERATION Application November 12, 1934, Serial No. 752,616

5 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerating systems and more particularly to that kind of system which is heated by a source of heat having a time limit due, forexample, to the quantity of fuel 5 supplied.

The nature of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing more or less diagrammatically an embodiment of my invention.

The drawing shows a refrigerator including a food space Ill surrounded by insulation H. The cabinet includes a lower apparatus compartment l2 and a back apparatus compartment l3. Within the compartment l3 and extending partly into the apparatus compartment and extending partly into the food space is a refrigerating unit including an evaporator Hi, a condenser 55, a boiler it, and a liquid circulation pipe ll. This unit .10 may be of various kinds within the classification known as intermittent absorption type. The evaporator is within the food space and the other parts are outside the food space. The unit may be arranged to be removable from the cabinet as is known in the art. The unit contains a solution of refrigerant-in absorption liquid such as ammonia dissolved in water. During heating periods the ammonia is expelled from solution in the boiler and driven to the condenser where it condenses and thence flows into the evaporator. Heat is applied to the boiler for this purpose, and I have shown a kerosene burner 20 for supplying heat to the boiler. After a period the heat supply to the burner ceases and then the system cools off and what is known as an absorption period begins, in which the refrigerant is re-absorbed by the absorption liquid in the boiler sys tem resulting in evaporation of the refrigerant in the evaporator which takes up heat from the food space I and produces refrigeration.

Refrigerators are known in which a given supply of kerosene or other fuel is provided so that the burner will go out after a certain period of its own accord. The absorption period then automatically starts. The amount of kerosene can be so predetermined that the burner will be heated for, say, two hours, and will then go out leaving an absorption period of, for example, 24 to 36 hours. With such an apparatus the kerosene tank can be filled once each day and the refrigerator will then automatically take. care of itself with respect to the different steps of the cycle. At 2| I have shown a kerosene tank which together with the burner 20 is mounted on a sliding rack 22 which may be like that used in file cabinets. The tank and burner may be mounted on rollers 23 so that the tank and burner as a unit can be pulled forwardly by the handle 26 on opening the apparatus compartment door 25. When the tank 2! abuts against a projection 26 on a sliding rack 27 the rack slides forwardly and thus the heating unit can be withdrawn from the apparatus compartment for filling in the predetermined quantity of kerosene.

It is practically unavoidable that in absorption machines some of the absorption liquid passes to the evaporator and provision has to be made for draining absorption liquid from the evaporator. I propose to do this in the following manner:

A drain or purging line 28 connects the lower part of the evaporator with the lower part of the unit. In conduit 28 is a valve as having a rotary stem to which is attached an operating member 30. To illustrate the invention I have shown this member as curved so that it acts as a sort of cam against the tank 2 i. In the position shown in full lines in the drawing the tank 2! holds the lever 30 up and the valve 29 is closed. When the tank 2i is removed from the sliding carriage 2? the support for leverfill is removed and this lever falls tothe position shown in dotted lines in the drawing. A suitable stop may be provided to limit the movement. In the position shown in dotted lines the valve 29 is open. This allows any liquid in the evaporator to drain into the boiler system of the unit. When the tank 2! is filled and reinserted the tank strikes the lever 30 and moves it upwardly to close the valve 29.

Thus the system is purged or drained each time that the tank 2! is removed for filling. This pro-I vides a purging between each cycle. The valve is closed so long as the heating periods and absorption periods continue;

It will be obvious that many variations may be made. The valve 29 may be of various types and may be. operated by snap-action mechanism or may be-spring pressed to a given position. Stops 3| and 32 may be provided to position the tank and burner to insure the closing of valve 29 when the apparatus is working.

What I claim is:

1. In an intermittent absorption refrigeration apparatus operated by heat, an evaporator, a

drain conduit connected to the evaporator, a

valve in said drain conduit, manually movable energy supply means, and means automatically operating to first open and then close said valve when the energy supply means is moved and restored.

2. In a refrigerator having a unit and a burner for heating the unit requiring periodic lighting and arranged to be moved for'lighting, a purging device forming part of said unit, and means to actuate the purging device on moving the burner.

3. In a refrigeratorhaving a unit and a burner for heating the unit requiring periodic lighting and arranged to be moved for lighting, an evaporator, a drain conduit connected to the evaporator, a valve in said conduit, and mechanism causing said valve to open when the burner is moved.

4. In a. refrigerator, a refrigerating unit, a burner situated below said unit, a carriage for said burner, a purging valve in said unit, and

respect to said cabinet for filling said tank, and 10 means whereby said valve is opened when the tank is removed and closed when the tank is returned.

ALVAR LENNING. 

